Description

On April 27, 2009, President Obama announced the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). PCAST was originally established in 1990 to enable the President to receive advice from the private
sector and academic community on technology, scientific research priorities, and math and science education. Amongst merely 19 others chosen was our very own Chief Research and Strategy Officer,
Craig Mundie. I took some time to talk with Craig about what his role will be, what PCAST is overall and, of course, what this will mean for Microsoft.

The Discussion

gosh, I wish Microsoft would reconsider its alignment with the democrat party. Software pioneers, like Bill Gates, did not need government involvement to build the software industry. Arguably, the feds would have stifled their creativity.

When democrats control both government and large companies, how will free individuals be able to protect themselves? As it is, the Obama/banking/auto manufacture and now I fear software industry alliance is giving the country a crushing debt burden that,
hyperbole aside, will likely do great damage to all who live in the US.

Steve- I don't think Microsoft has aligned itself with the Democratic party so much as Craig Mundie is being asked for his expertise on a subject of great interest and relevance to the President and the US Government, regardless of political lines.

"... Steve- I don't think Microsoft has aligned itself with the Democratic party so much as Craig Mundie is being asked for his expertise on a subject of great interest and relevance to the President and the US Government, regardless of political lines.
..."

I appreciate the reply Laura. It is the publicizing of Mundie's service to the Clinton and now Obama admin that I think crosses the line into politics. Let me see if I can explain my POV.

What if every large company in the US was publicizing their work for Clinton and Obama? For MSFT, it is a periodic 5 minute spot on my favorite channel 9 show telling me how Craig Mundie is working with the president to better the nations tech infrastructure.
IBM might include a mention in their full page WSJ ads of their partnership with the president to solve inner city thru improved rack mounted servers. See the point? I think that publicity would skew the next election in the favor of the political party of
the administration all the companies were working with. Arguably a violation of the spirit, if not letter, of the nation's campaign finance laws.

Seeing what is going on in the country with bank bailouts, car bailouts, tax breaks for newspaper publishers, etc ... I am very suspicious of the alliance between big business and big government. Paid for by the taxpayer ( and the customer who is required
to purchase the government mandated product ). There is a lot of health care industry money on the table in the form of mandates for doctors to collect and store more info on patient care. MSFT, IBM and other tech players want that business. When the Obama
admin awards the contracts do any of us think the business will go to the company with the best solution? Or will it go to the company that is most willing to include positive mentions of the president's administation in its communications to its customers
and partners?

If the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology determines that water vapor and carbon dioxide are greenhouse gas pollutants and harm the health of humans and we therefore need the carbon tax and cap and trade carbon dioxide tax, we will
know the Council is in the tank for Obama.